RM300mil loss for S'wak from land 'sold' to Taib's children

Kuching
Wednesday, 25th August 2010

Taken From Malaysia Chronicle

A company owned by Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's children has obtained land in Kuching at a very low price, causing the state to lose at least RM300 million in potential revenue.

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said the state government had alienated 269 acres of land within the city to Monarda Sdn Bhd at a "grossly and obscenely under-priced" rate of RM291,000 per acre on average.

"The market rate is between RM1.5 million and RM2 million per acre. Had the government gone for public tender, the state could have (earned) RM400 million to RM500 million," he told Malaysiakini today.

Instead, Monarda, which has a paid-up capital of RM100, only paid about RM78.28 million for the three parcels of land, he said.

"We demand that the state government gives a full explanation and be accountable to the people of Sarawak," said Chong (left), who is also Sarawak DAP secretary.

The three parcels are located next to the Kuching International Airport near Stutong. There is a military base located in the same area.

Monarda is headed by Taib's eldest son Abu Bekir, who holds 52 shares, and one Choong Sun Nam, who holds 12 shares.

Other shareholders include Taib's daughters Jamilah and Hanifah Hajar, and Taib's daughter-in-law Anisa Hamidah Abdullah, all of whom hold 12 shares respectively.

Unusual alienation exercise

Chong, who traced the Taib connection through land and companies registry searches, said this was one of the largest parcels of city land to be alienated in any one exercise.

"The land is currently vacant and Monarda has not done any business since it was founded," he said.

Earlier this year, three complaints were lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission against Taib, alleging that he and his family had used corrupt means to build a property empire valued in excess of RM3 billion.

Two documents surfaced this month in the Sarawak Report website alleging that Taib had used proxies in 1987 to take control of a US-based property company, Sakti International Corporation, then worth at least US$80 million (RM250 million).

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

Shady truths in ‘fancy’ Sarawak

Kuching
Sunday, 20th June 2010

Members of the Sarawak government are always accusing people who criticise their policies of being enemies of ‘progress, development and modernisation’.

But these policies have reportedly stripped the country of its rainforests and taken away Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands from natives and turnd them into endless stretches of oil palm plantations.

Who is really profiting?

Chief Minister Taib Mamud has for years promised the people of Sarawak that in return for their land and destruction of the rainforest they would receive a future bathed in wealth and prosperity. He promised them a modern standard of living comparable to advanced countries.

But what is the evidence of this?

Not only the outsiders know that Iban have been marginalised but all the Iban leaders like Datuk Leonard Linggi, Alfred Jabu, James Masing, Celestine Ujang, William Mawan also know but why until now they, the dayak leaders could not defend their own people? What had Taib given to them until they look so stupid ?..Bukittunggal

Are these leaders being bought by Taib Mahmud ?

Sarawak which is the richest state in Malaysia has the poorest population. More than 60% of the population are said to be statistically living in poverty.

Over the years the poor have gotten poorer and hungrier without their lands to live off from.

In contrast the people around Taib and his friends have become richer, living a life in splendour that would have amazed Rajah Brooke himself.

Everything has been taken from the once fabulous interior of Sarawak and given to the rich businessmen from the coastal cities.

Deal that left Ibans in debt

In Batang Ai, the Iban community is struggling as in other parts of Sarawak. They were promised good compensation when they were forced from their homes to make way for the building of the dam.

But, like so many communities in Sarawak, they soon discovered their mistake. It turned out the government wanted to charge more for their new homes than the compensation for their old ones!

Now the Ibans are in debt to the government and have lost their valuable lands.

They were told that they would receive free water and electricity from the dam, but this promise has since been broken.

Most families have to use rainwater to cook and wash and to flush their toilets. At night the Ibans in this longhouse share electricity with their neighbours.

The roads to their longhouses have caved-in and the palm plantations around them have clogged up the river and are threatening dangerous mud-slides into their town.

Farmers have to walk many miles to reach their allocated fields and can no longer catch fish. There is no longer food from the forest.

The only ‘modern’ jobs on offer are the very lowly paid jobs on the oil plantations run by SALCRA, which is managed by Taib’s family and friends.

Ibans are paid RM8 a day – compare this with the RM165 million that Taib’s family allegedly made from the Bengoh Dam project in just a few weeks!

Millions promised but nothing came

Little needs to be said about the roads to Batang Ai. The only time the roads were surfaced was the day before Taib flew from Kuching in his helicopter for last year’s Batang Ai by election.

The government agency hastily repaired the one stretch between the heliport and the place he was due to speak. On that occasion Taib again promised the people at Batang Ai that if they voted for him he would pay millions of ringgit to improve their longhouses and their roads.

But that did not happen. Most roads are as terrible as before and longhouses have received no money.

Said a resident of a longhouse in Batang Ai, who’s great grandfather was a proud Iban warrior: “Thirty years after Taib came and promised us ‘modernisation’ with the coming of the dam and the planting of oil palm, we are poorer and our lives are harder.

“I go to Kuching and I see Taib’s fancy house and his parliament. I see the fancy hotels and buildings. Then I return and see us, our lives. I can see who has really profited from all this ‘progress and development’.”

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

This article originally appeared in Sarawak Report.

Sarawak Cabinet Minor Reshuffle 25th March 2010 -Once Against Dayak is Being Sidelined By Taib Mahmud

KUCHING
Thursday, 25th March 2010

Appointed as Special Advisor to the Chief  Minister..25th March 2010

Taib Mahmud today announced minor reshuffled in the state cabinet.Today cabinet's reshuffled as announced by Taib saw the return of Adenan Satem to the cabinet. He was appointed as a special advisor to the Chief Minister, which is equivalent to the full minister portfolio.

Promoted to Minister Of Early child education, family development, planning and training, 

under the Chief Minister Office - 25th March 2010

Another two appointments involved Datin Fatimah Abdullah from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and YB Tan Joo Phoi from Sarawak United People Party (SUPP).Fatimah, the Dalat State Assemblywoman, has been charged with early child education, family development, planning and training, under the Chief Minister Office. Whereas the Batu Kawa State Assemblyman Tan Joo Phoi was appointed Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office (Environment).

Appointed As the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office (Environment).

- 25th March 2010

In the appointment of Adenan and Fatimah, Taib Said to reporters :

"We hope that Adenan (Datuk Seri) will put his experience to good use in his new post particularly in information and broadcasting,".He added, "Since Fatimah has successfully implemented early child education and family development programmes, we feel that a full minister is needed to strengthen the sector," .

Why There was No Promotion For the Dayak?

This time, we can see that Taib only promoted the Malay, Melanau (root by the virtue that Datin Fatimah is related to Taib Mahmud) and the Chinese. Why there is no promotion for the Dayak politicians or from the dayak based party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP)? Where are Mawan,Jemut and Jabu ? Are they satisfied with the unequal treatment against the dayak by their boss? Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can use this issue to gain the support from the dayaks during the next state election.

To all the dayaks (voters and politicians) open your eyes, and let's all abandone Barisan Nasional and join PR.

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN